Down and Fiber Blend and Method

ABSTRACT

An exemplary down and fiber blend may comprise a first weight of down having a water-resistant coating applied thereto, and a second weight of water-resistant fiber. The water-resistant treated down is preferably dried prior to mixing with the chosen fiber. The fiber in the blend may preferably be a polyester fiber, such as a polyester staple microfiber. A method of forming a down and fiber blend may include the gradual introduction of the fiber into a mixing box in which the water-resistant treated down is being stirred. Fiber and mixing parameters are also provided which have been determined to result in optimal performance characteristics of the fiber blend. In the microfiber blend embodiments, each strand may preferably have 6 to 9 crimps per inch, and the microfiber strands may preferably be 0.8 to 1.4 denier.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/864,408 filed Aug. 9, 2013, the content of which is incorporated by this reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to downs and fibers for use in the construction of garments, sleeping bags, bedding and the like.

BACKGROUND

Down is a natural feather product that has been used for hundreds of years as a fine thermal insulator and padding in goods such as jackets, bedding, pillows and sleeping bags. Polyester fiber has also been around for many years. However, simply combining the two materials has been found to yield a deficient result in that the blends tend to clump together over an extended period of time, and especially when the end products containing the blends are washed or otherwise wetted.

What is needed is an improved down and fiber blend, and a method for manufacturing such a blend, wherein the goods comprising the improved blend can be washed or otherwise wetted without resulting in clumping.

SUMMARY

Certain deficiencies of the prior art may be overcome by the provision of one or more embodiments of an improved down and fiber blend, and one or more embodiments of methods for manufacturing such improved blends. A down and fiber blend may comprise a first weight of down having a water-resistant coating applied thereto and a second weight of water resistant fiber, wherein the first weight and the second weight form a blend with one another.

In a first method of forming a down and fiber blend, down may be selected, treated with water-resistant coating and dried. Next, a fiber may be chosen, and introduced into a fiber opener, thereby fluffing the second weight of fiber. The down may be vacuumed into a mixing box for stirring therein. The fiber may gradually be re-introduced through the fiber opener. During the step of re-introducing and simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, the fiber strands may be blown into the mixing box upon their exiting the fiber opener, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber.

In a second method of forming a down and fiber blend, down may be also selected, treated with water-resistant coating and dried. A fiber may be chosen which consists of fiber strands. The fiber may be converted into fiber ball precursor. The down may be vacuumed into a mixing box for stifling therein. Simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, the fiber ball precursor may be blown into the mixing box, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a photograph of one example embodiment of a down and fiber blend in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a photograph of one example embodiment of a pillow stuffed with an embodiment of the blend discussed herein;

FIG. 3 is a photograph of one example embodiment of a singular fiber ball in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a photograph of one example embodiment of a cluster of fiber balls in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic flow chart depicting an embodiment of a first method of forming a down and fiber blend, which is particularly suited for producing blends using microfiber;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic flow chart depicting an embodiment of a second method of forming a down and fiber blend, which is particularly suited for producing blends using fiber balls; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a system relied on in performance of one or more methods in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention comprises, at least in part, a blend of down and polymer fiber. Moreover, a method is provided by which such an improved blend may be manufactured.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a down and fiber blend may comprise a first weight of down having a water-resistant coating applied thereto, and a second weight of water resistant fiber. The first weight and the second weight preferably form a blend with one another. The ratio between the first weight and the second weight in the blend may be selected by, for example, the manufacturer or a buyer, depending upon the desired performance of the blend.

In certain embodiments of the down and fiber blend, the fiber is a polyester fiber. In particular embodiments, the fiber is a polyester microfiber. In such microfiber embodiments, each strand of the microfiber may be a solid fiber. Each strand of the microfiber may be 0.8 to 1.4 denier. Moreover, each strand of the microfiber may preferably have a length ranging from 8 mm to 32 mm. Further, each strand of the microfiber may preferably have 6 to 9 crimps per inch. Alternatively to embodiments having microfiber, each strand of the fiber may be a hollow conjugated fiber.

A first method 100 of forming a down and fiber blend may comprise one or more steps as illustrated, for example in FIG. 5. At block 102, a first weight of down may be selected, treated with water-resistant coating and dried. At block 104, a second weight of fiber may be chosen. At block 106, the second weight of fiber may be introduced into a fiber opener, thereby fluffing the second weight of fiber. At block 108, the first weight of down may be vacuumed into a mixing box for stifling therein. At block 110, the second weight of fiber may gradually be re-introduced through the fiber opener (which in some embodiments may take the form of a separate fiber opener). At block 112, during the step of re-introducing and simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, the fiber strands may be blown into the mixing box upon their exiting the fiber opener, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber. In certain preferred embodiments of this method, the mixture may be agitated while being stirred.

In certain embodiments of the first method of forming a down and fiber blend, each strand of the fiber may be a solid fiber. In particular embodiments of the first method, once all of the fiber strands have exited the fiber opener, the stifling may preferably continue for at least 5 minutes.

As illustrated at block 114 of FIG. 5 for example, particular embodiments of the first method of forming a down and fiber blend may further comprise the step of sucking the mixture out of the mixing box and into one or more down-proof bags. Moreover, each strand of the fiber may preferably have 6 to 9 crimps per inch. A crimped microfiber strand may typically take on the appearance of a saw-tooth configuration.

A second method 116 of forming a down and fiber blend may comprise one or more respective steps as illustrated for example in FIG. 6. Similarly to the first method 100 described above, at block 102 a first weight of down may be selected, treated with water-resistant coating and dried. At block 104, a second weight of fiber may be chosen, wherein the second weight of fiber consists of fiber strands. At block 118, the second weight of fiber may be converted into fiber ball precursor. At block 108, the first weight of down may be vacuumed into a mixing box for stifling therein. At block 120, simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, the fiber ball precursor may be blown into the mixing box, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber. The mixture may be agitated, for example by blown air, while it is being stirred.

In certain preferred embodiments of the second method of forming a down and fiber blend, each strand of the fiber may be a hollow conjugated fiber. Particular embodiments of the second method may further comprise the step of continuing the stirring for at least 5 minutes once all of the fiber ball precursor has been blown into the mixing box. Each strand of the fiber may preferably be 1 to 8 denier. More particularly, in particular embodiments, each strand of the fiber may preferably be 3 to 5 denier. Further, in certain embodiments of the second method, each strand of the fiber may have a length ranging from 32 mm to 64 mm. In particular embodiments, each strand may include multi-dimensional crimping, such as the cork-screw-like configuration seen in certain crimped hollow conjugated fibers.

FIG. 7 illustrates one non-limiting example of a system 130 which may be relied on by the first and second methods described above. The down may receive water-resistant treatment in a down treatment wash 132. The treated and dried down may then be weighed out to result in a first weight of treated down 134. The second weight of fiber 136 may be weighed out. In the first method described above, the second weight of fiber may be introduced and possibly re-introduced into a fiber opener 138, the dashed lines and boxes representing potentially optional components in the system 130. With the first weight of down having been fed into the mixing box 140 for stirring, the fiber may be gradually fed into the mixing box 140 by way of, for example, multiple points of entry to keep the fiber more evenly distributed throughout the mixture. During the stifling process, the mixture may be agitated by an agitator 142, which may rely on one or more air hoses connected to the mixing box 140 to agitate the position of the mixture within the mixing box, and possibly to blow the mixture toward the exit of the mixing box 140. A bagging station 144 may be, for example, a clean area where a large capacity bag can be attached to the end of a hose from the mixing box 140, and collect the newly-produced down and fiber blend exiting the mixing box.

In preferred embodiments of an improved down and fiber blend, both the down and the fiber are independently water resistant. The down may be, for example, a premium down treated to be water resistant. Such treatment may involve, for example, applying a water resistant coating to the down. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art could select and obtain such a water resistant coating from those made available from large chemical companies. The fiber may be, for example, a polyester fiber. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the fiber may be a polyester staple microfiber. Experimentally, we have found the useful size range of the fiber to be approximately 1 denier, although this can be increased or reduced depending on the desired loft and size of the end product (e.g., jacket, bedding, etc.). The length of the fiber may preferably be anywhere in the range of 8 mm to 32 mm. It may be preferable for the fibers to feature varying degrees of crimping in order to provide the best loft for the finished product.

In preferred embodiments of a method in accordance with the present invention, a water resistant treatment may be applied to the down during a washing process. The down chosen for placement into the wash can be of varying qualities. Separately, a polyester fiber is selected and run through a specialized machine that uses teeth to “open” the fiber, which essentially pulls the fiber apart, making it open so as to accept mixing with the down. The aforementioned teeth may reside, for example, on the barrel of the machine through which the fiber is introduced to the process and “opened.” In certain such embodiments, the barrel may feature, for example, approximately 35 wire “teeth” per square inch. In further such embodiments, the barrel may feature approximately 56 wire teeth per square inch. Characteristics of the resulting product may be improved as a result of the increased number of teeth per square inch, due for example to the additional teeth providing the ability to more fully and finely pull apart (or open) the fiber so that it will be more hospitable to marrying with the down clusters in our mixing tank. Once the fiber has been opened, it is then blown into a mixing machine along with the treated down. The machine slowly mixes the fiber and the down, creating a blend that is ready for use as, for example, insulation and padding in respective goods.

In particular preferred embodiments, both the polyester fiber and the down are water resistant prior to being mixed with one another. As a result, the fibers can maintain their integrity during the mixing process with the down so the blend does not get tangled together and clumpy during the mixing step.

In addition or alternatively to using the microfibers mentioned above, larger denier fibers may be used to make ‘fiber balls’ for blending with down through a similar process as described in connection with the microfibers. The preferred fiber to turn into a fiber ball may be, for example, a polyester staple fiber that is in the range of approximately or exactly 1 to 8 denier, and length of approximately or exactly 32 mm to 64 mm. These fibers are preferably hollow conjugated fibers. These fibers do not necessarily have to be treated with water-resistant coating, but it is preferable to help ensure the end product maintains its quality throughout wash and use cycles.

To make the larger denier fibers into balls, they may be run through, for example, a ball-fiber machine. That machine opens the fibers, and then rolls them into balls, producing what are referred to herein as fiber balls. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a singular fiber ball and a cluster of fiber balls, respectively. Once formed, the fiber balls can then be blended with down using the same mixing process as described herein for microfibers. However, since the fiber balls are already opened in the above mentioned fiber ball process, the opening step may be skipped and the process instead may proceed to slowly blowing the fiber balls into the mixing cylinder with, for example, the water resistant treated down for blending. After mixing has occurred, for example, for approximately 5 minutes, the down and fiber ball blend results. These fiber balls may be useful as an alternative option to microfibers, each presenting different benefits. The beneficial attributes of fiber balls may be, for example, additional loft and springiness as compared to microfibers, which provide a feeling of more softness.

The blends described herein are customizable depending upon the need of the customer. By way of example, regarding the down portion of the blend, customers can choose material based on several attributes, including fill power, color, quality, regional origin or treatment. These attributes come with differing benefits and costs. The customer can optionally choose the ratio of down versus fiber. For example, a customer may request 70% down and 30% fiber, or 60% down and 40% fiber, etc. Procedurally, in order to achieve these ratios, it is preferable to use weight as a guide. With this in mind, before mixing the down with the fiber, the down and fiber are typically pre-weighed to ensure the ratio is correct

As compared with the prior art, the improved blends and methods described herein result in products which feel and perform better without clumping over time, or as a result of exposure to moisture.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A down and fiber blend comprising: a first weight of down having a water-resistant coating applied thereto; and a second weight of water-resistant-fiber; wherein the first weight and the second weight form a blend with one another.
 2. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 1 in which the fiber is a polyester fiber.
 3. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 2 wherein the polyester fiber is a polyester microfiber.
 4. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 3 wherein each strand of the fiber is a solid fiber.
 5. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 3 wherein each strand of the fiber is 0.8 to 1.4 denier.
 6. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 3 in which each strand of the fiber has a length ranging from 8 mm to 32 mm.
 7. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 3 in which each strand of the fiber has 6 to 9 crimps per inch.
 8. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 1 wherein each strand of the fiber is a hollow conjugated fiber.
 9. A method of forming a down and fiber blend, the method comprising the following steps: selecting a first weight of down; treating the down with a water-resistant coating; drying the first weight of down; choosing a second weight of fiber, the second weight of fiber consisting of fiber strands; introducing the second weight of fiber into a fiber opener, thereby fluffing the second weight of fiber; vacuuming the first weight of down into a mixing box for stirring therein; gradually re-introducing the second weight of fiber through the fiber opener; during the step of re-introducing and simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, blowing the fiber strands into the mixing box upon their exiting the fiber opener, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber; and agitating the mixture while it is being stirred.
 10. A down and fiber blend as defined in claim 9 wherein each strand of the fiber is a solid fiber.
 11. The method defined in claim 9 wherein, once all of the fiber strands have existed the fiber opener, the stirring continues for at least 5 minutes.
 12. The method defined in claim 9, further comprising the step of sucking the mixture out of the mixing box and into one or more down-proof bags.
 13. A method as defined in claim 9 in which each strand of the fiber has 6 to 9 crimps per inch.
 14. A method of forming a down and fiber blend, the method comprising the following steps: selecting a first weight of down; treating the down with a water-resistant coating; drying the first weight of down; choosing a second weight of fiber, the second weight of fiber consisting of fiber strands; converting the second weigh of fiber into fiber ball precursor; vacuuming the first weight of down into a mixing box for stirring therein; simultaneously with the down being stirred within the mixing box, blowing the fiber ball precursor into the mixing box, thereby forming a mixture of the down and the fiber; and agitating the mixture while it is being stirred.
 15. A method defined in claim 14 wherein each strand of the fiber is a hollow conjugated fiber.
 16. The method defined in claim 14 wherein, once all of the fiber ball precursor has been blown into the mixing box, the stirring continues for at least 5 minutes.
 17. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein each strand of the fiber is 1 to 8 denier.
 18. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein each strand of the fiber is 3 to 5 denier.
 19. A method as defined in claim 14 in which each strand of the fiber has a length ranging from 32 mm to 64 mm.
 20. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein each strand includes multi-dimensional crimping. 